Lifestyle physical activity of older rural women The research was conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The authors also wish to acknowledge gratefully the professional editorial contribution of Kevin Grandfield. The preparation of this manuscript was supported by The Center for Reducing Risks in Vulnerable Populations, P30 NR009014.

The purpose of this study was to describe and examine the lifestyle physical activity behaviors (household, leisure, occupational) of older rural women. Background characteristics included demographics, environment, social support, and health. Intrapersonal characteristics included motivation and self-efficacy. The majority of the women's energy expenditure was in the household dimension. Social support was positively associated with household activities. A higher level of leisure physical activity was associated with living within the two small cities and reporting lower levels of health and lower motivation. This research highlights the importance of household physical activity and the contribution of social support for household physical activity, both of which may be important in developing interventions to promote physical activity in older rural women. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 31:501–513, 2008Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/60969/1/20282_ftp.pd